US8707582B2ActiveUtilityA1

Energy storage and return spring

82
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 6, 2007Filed: May 30, 2008Granted: Apr 29, 2014
Est. expirySep 6, 2027(~1.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:James Brent KlassenDavid W. Boehm
A43B 13/181A43B 7/32F03G 1/02A43B 13/203A43B 13/183A43B 21/30A43B 21/26F16F 1/025F16F 3/12F16F 1/32F16F 1/373
82
PatentIndex Score
26
Cited by
64
References
26
Claims

Abstract

A spring shoe, and also in particular a spring, as well as a method of returning energy to a user, are provided. In one embodiment, a method and apparatus stores foot strike energy and releases it after a slight delay, when it will exert a force on the user which includes a forward component. This is accomplished in an embodiment by a spring in the sole which has a decreasing spring force, such that the force required to compress the sole decreases for all or part of the compression displacement as the spring is compressed.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A spring shoe, comprising:
 a sole having a heel and a forefoot; 
 an upper secured to the sole; 
 a spring positioned in the sole, the spring having a spring range of travel under compression of the sole by a foot supported by the spring shoe, the spring range of travel extending between end points; 
 the spring comprising a disk and a ring spring extending along a periphery of the disk, the disk comprising a rigid element and the ring spring comprising an elastic element, the ring spring and the disk being connected together to oppose flattening of the disk; 
 the spring having a spring rate that is zero at a point between the end points of the range of travel; and 
 a biased damper in the sole and disposed within the spring, the biased damper being oriented to oppose compression of the sole and dissipate energy as the spring compresses beyond the point of zero spring rate and towards maximum compression; wherein the biased damper applies a force to the spring to resist compression of the spring; wherein the force increases as the spring compresses beyond the point of zero spring rate. 
 
     
     
       2. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the force resisting compression increases as the spring approaches full compression. 
     
     
       3. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the biased damper has a damping range of travel, and the damping range of travel is less than the spring range of travel. 
     
     
       4. The spring shoe of  claim 3  in which the biased damper comprises an energy dissipating compressible material. 
     
     
       5. The spring shoe of  claim 3  in which the biased damper comprises an energy dissipating deformable material. 
     
     
       6. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the disk comprises an air chamber having conduits allowing air to flow into and out of the air chamber. 
     
     
       7. The spring shoe of  claim 6  in which the air chamber has an air flow regulator element that restricts air flow out of the air chamber more than air flow into the air chamber. 
     
     
       8. The spring shoe of  claim 1  where the rigid element is loaded in compression, and the elastic element is loaded in tension. 
     
     
       9. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the disk has an apex and has at least a hinge or is flexible at the apex to allow the rigid element to flatten upon force being applied to the apex. 
     
     
       10. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the elastic element
 is embedded within an opening which extends along the periphery of the rigid element. 
 
     
     
       11. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the rigid element is air sealed. 
     
     
       12. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the disk comprises a conical disk. 
     
     
       13. The spring shoe of  claim 12  in which the conical disk incorporates blind slots. 
     
     
       14. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the rigid element
 comprises a hinge. 
 
     
     
       15. The spring shoe of  claim 14  in which the hinge is a living hinge. 
     
     
       16. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the rigid element has at least a living hinge. 
     
     
       17. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the elastic element comprises an acetal resin. 
     
     
       18. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the spring has maximum force resisting compression at greater than 30% of the spring range of travel measured from zero compression of the spring. 
     
     
       19. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the spring is located in the heel of the sole. 
     
     
       20. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the spring is located in the forefoot of the sole. 
     
     
       21. The spring shoe of  claim 1 , in which the spring rate declines for at least part of the range of travel as the spring compresses. 
     
     
       22. The spring shoe of  claim 1  in which the conical disk incorporates expansion slots. 
     
     
       23. The spring shoe of  claim 22  in which the conical disk incorporates blind slots. 
     
     
       24. The spring shoe of  claim 23  in which the blind slots are radially extending. 
     
     
       25. The spring shoe of  claim 22  in which the conical disk incorporates radially extending blind slots. 
     
     
       26. The spring shoe of  claim 13  in which the blind slots are radially extending.

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